Presented as a series of comic novellas that together comprise a thoughtful, sometimes dark and often hilarious memoir about childhood, family, death, mental illness, sex and drug use, the entire book is told through cleverly inviting conceits like cat histories and card games.

The graphic novel is told in five parts: In "Thirteen Cats" (featured in The Best American Comics), Reklaw discovers coping mechanisms that mimic his family pets; "Toys I Love" relates the author's pre-pubescent brushes with deviant sexual activity, and the way innocence converges with real sexual trauma; "The Fred Robinson Story" tells the story of Reklaw's period stalking perfect strangers; "The Stacked Deck," in which hereditary influences towards criminal behavior, drug use and depression are explored via card games the author played with his family; and "Lessoned," a family history of mental illness.

• Ranked #10 on Rob Clough's Best of 2013: Top 25 Long-Form Comics at High-Low• One of John Porcellino's Favorite Comics of 2013

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REVIEWS

Paste Magazine

•Reviews and features site

“Sad, interesting, and individual … impressive.” – Hillary Brown

Publishers Weekly

•Publishing trade magazine

“Reklaw’s flowing gray-wash art beautifully captures both the joys of early creativity and the blasé weirdness of childhood, where dark traumas can whip past as though they’re nothing, before circling back with an unexpected vengeance.”

The Comics Journal

•American comics magazine

“[Jesse Reklaw] has a truly special intellect and keen sense of humor.” – Katie Haegele

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